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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
I must confess, I was putting off reading this for ages and ages because having three main characters each with different viewpoints felt extremely intimidating and sounded very confusing. Ha! I needn't have worried. Each of these ladies' lives is so intertwined with each other that it makes for a REALLY easy read. Add the fact that the audiobook is abridged (elsewise I would NOT have finished this in a day, still trying to wrap my head around that one anyway), and this is an absolute breeze of a novel. Not so much for our leading ladies, but you get the idea.
This book picks up with Henry's fourth soon-to-be wife, Anne of Cleves, and takes us through his fourth and fifth marriages. I'm still a bit bummed Ms Gregory opted not to grace us with a novel that at least had Catherine Parr somewhat involved, but I suppose by then all the drama llamas that followed Henry VIII around had died off.
Sorry, that was bad. Like, really bad. Anyway...
After Katherine of Aragon, whom I ADORED reading about in The Constant Princess, I have to say Anne of Cleves is my next favorite of Henry's unfortunate wives. I do like Anne Boleyn, but she's the one with all the publicity, everyone knows her. And I feel like after reading the first three books in this series, binge-watching The Tudors on Netflix is required. And I always seem to mix the Tudors cast with the Other Boleyn Girl cast-- I like ScarJo for Mary Boleyn, but Natalie Dormer will ALWAYS be Anne and I like Jim Sturgess for George. And Jonathan for Henry, because yum. And Tamzin Merchant is perfect for Katherine Howard. I can feel myself digressing.
As I said, I like Anne of Cleves and I really feel bad for her because, like Katherine of Aragon, she never did anything to warrant what she got. Granted, it could've been a hell of a lot worse *side-eyes Anne B and Katherine H* but still, this poor girl. She gets dragged out of her home country into a place where she doesn't speak the language nearly at all, gets laughed at and treated with suspicion because of that, and is still excited to meet and marry her new husband. And then as soon as Henry meets her he decides he doesn't like her. What an ass. And throughout all of this, and then dumping her so he can marry a teenager (rape culture much?), Anne is never really angry or very jaded by the whole thing-- just bewildered as all get out. I just want to give her a hug.
The "Boleyn Inheritance" seems to be a whole lot of nothing, by the end of this book. Although, I suppose Anne of Cleves would beg to differ, seeing as she wound up with a nice house out of the whole deal. Other than that, both Katherine and Jane Rochford-Boleyn died, for gods' sake. Katherine I did feel a bit sorry for, because she's only a child really. She likes pretty things and would likely be far better off if this whole thing were make-believe and she could marry a handsome prince and go on like that; by the time she and Henry get together he's old enough to be her father and his leg is NASTY and (as evidenced with Anne of Cleves) he can't get it up anymore. Pity Viagra didn't exist.
Jane, on the other hand, is a real piece of work. Throughout my learning about her, she just comes across as a snake. In OBG, we hear George moaning about being married to her, which gives the impression that she's not a nice person, and then she stabs both him and Anne in the back, so it's not a good outlook for her at all through the eyes of the reader. But then come this book and she's all BOOHOO I LOST MY HUSBAND, HIS AND ANNE'S GHOSTS HAUNT ME, WAHHHH. Fuck off, bitch. She tries to paint herself all like she really did love him, and I just don't buy it. I don't know how things actually were, back in the 1500s, but I really don't buy it. I was SO glad to hear she died, because it's everything she deserved. Now if only Uncle Norfolk could have gone the same way...
Oh and a word about the audio-- great choice. I've loved Ruthie Henshall since she starred in Les Miserables back in the 1990s, and she plays Katherine Howard to the hilt. Very well done. Bianca Amato and Dagmara Dominczyk were also fantastic as Jane Boleyn and Anne of Cleves, respectively -- each of their voices helped keep me in touch with the story, I'll have to remember them when I reread this.
This book picks up with Henry's fourth soon-to-be wife, Anne of Cleves, and takes us through his fourth and fifth marriages. I'm still a bit bummed Ms Gregory opted not to grace us with a novel that at least had Catherine Parr somewhat involved, but I suppose by then all the drama llamas that followed Henry VIII around had died off.
Sorry, that was bad. Like, really bad. Anyway...
After Katherine of Aragon, whom I ADORED reading about in The Constant Princess, I have to say Anne of Cleves is my next favorite of Henry's unfortunate wives. I do like Anne Boleyn, but she's the one with all the publicity, everyone knows her. And I feel like after reading the first three books in this series, binge-watching The Tudors on Netflix is required. And I always seem to mix the Tudors cast with the Other Boleyn Girl cast-- I like ScarJo for Mary Boleyn, but Natalie Dormer will ALWAYS be Anne and I like Jim Sturgess for George. And Jonathan for Henry, because yum. And Tamzin Merchant is perfect for Katherine Howard. I can feel myself digressing.
As I said, I like Anne of Cleves and I really feel bad for her because, like Katherine of Aragon, she never did anything to warrant what she got. Granted, it could've been a hell of a lot worse *side-eyes Anne B and Katherine H* but still, this poor girl. She gets dragged out of her home country into a place where she doesn't speak the language nearly at all, gets laughed at and treated with suspicion because of that, and is still excited to meet and marry her new husband. And then as soon as Henry meets her he decides he doesn't like her. What an ass. And throughout all of this, and then dumping her so he can marry a teenager (rape culture much?), Anne is never really angry or very jaded by the whole thing-- just bewildered as all get out. I just want to give her a hug.
The "Boleyn Inheritance" seems to be a whole lot of nothing, by the end of this book. Although, I suppose Anne of Cleves would beg to differ, seeing as she wound up with a nice house out of the whole deal. Other than that, both Katherine and Jane Rochford-Boleyn died, for gods' sake. Katherine I did feel a bit sorry for, because she's only a child really. She likes pretty things and would likely be far better off if this whole thing were make-believe and she could marry a handsome prince and go on like that; by the time she and Henry get together he's old enough to be her father and his leg is NASTY and (as evidenced with Anne of Cleves) he can't get it up anymore. Pity Viagra didn't exist.
Jane, on the other hand, is a real piece of work. Throughout my learning about her, she just comes across as a snake. In OBG, we hear George moaning about being married to her, which gives the impression that she's not a nice person, and then she stabs both him and Anne in the back, so it's not a good outlook for her at all through the eyes of the reader. But then come this book and she's all BOOHOO I LOST MY HUSBAND, HIS AND ANNE'S GHOSTS HAUNT ME, WAHHHH. Fuck off, bitch. She tries to paint herself all like she really did love him, and I just don't buy it. I don't know how things actually were, back in the 1500s, but I really don't buy it. I was SO glad to hear she died, because it's everything she deserved. Now if only Uncle Norfolk could have gone the same way...
Oh and a word about the audio-- great choice. I've loved Ruthie Henshall since she starred in Les Miserables back in the 1990s, and she plays Katherine Howard to the hilt. Very well done. Bianca Amato and Dagmara Dominczyk were also fantastic as Jane Boleyn and Anne of Cleves, respectively -- each of their voices helped keep me in touch with the story, I'll have to remember them when I reread this.
Loved it. Like the Mists of Avalon, it tells an historical story, but from the viewpoint of women. I couldn't put it down and felt I learned as much about that period of history -- and of Henry VIII -- as I was entertained.
I loved this book! I had a difficult time starting it, which is pretty common for me and I was super busy at the time, but as soon as I got time to finish this book, I wouldn't put it down.
This novel covers the time that Kind Henry VIII was married to both Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. Both characters are vividly written and given two very distinct personalities. There were some interactions of their characters I found very strange but overall I liked the writing of both of them.
One of Phillipa Gregory's best!
This novel covers the time that Kind Henry VIII was married to both Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. Both characters are vividly written and given two very distinct personalities. There were some interactions of their characters I found very strange but overall I liked the writing of both of them.
One of Phillipa Gregory's best!
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pela primeira vez nesta série temos um livro narrado por três mulheres diferentes, em capítulos alternados, o que não só permitiu uma maior dinâmica como também permitiu uma análise de três perspectivas diferentes da história.
Neste livro voltamos a ter o Henrique VIII (a esta altura já ninguém o aguenta), velho e cansado e ainda mais ansioso, inseguro, cruel, gordo e mal cheiroso (passámos a apelidá-lo carinhosamente de
Neste livro voltamos a ter o Henrique VIII (a esta altura já ninguém o aguenta), velho e cansado e ainda mais ansioso, inseguro, cruel, gordo e mal cheiroso (passámos a apelidá-lo carinhosamente de
I have a thing for cheesy historical fiction books, even though I'm ashamed to admit it. But this was a good read, and I couldn't put it down. I didn't like it as much as The Other Boelyn Girl, but it was pretty good considering.
This is trash, but good trash. Compulsively readable and gossipy, good if you’re ill or stuck in an airport lounge. It is another rehash of Henry VIIIs unhappy marriages, done through the eyes of two of his wives – Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard – and Jane Rochford, notorious sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn. Gregory brings to life the treacherous, glamorous and claustrophobic world of Henry’s court at a time when Henry was turning mentally unstable and had become a fat bloated caricature of a monarch oozing pus and other unpleasant bodily fluids.
Everyone knows the story of Henry VIII’s marriages, so you know the plot before you start. Katherine’s story was the most tragic. Gregory describes her as a vain flirty teenager attracting the eye of an ageing king, and you have to hope for her own sake she was as superficial as Gregory makes her out to be. There is something pretty repulsive about the old king lusting after her, like an ageing Jimmy Savile. She misses out the key scene when Katherine Howard ran screaming through Hampton Court searching for Henry on the day of her arrest, and has reputedly haunted the long galllery ever since – or so the guide books tell you.
Anne of Cleves got the best deal out of all the wives – a divorce and an income afterwards. Jane Rochford is the most elusive character and I’m still not sure Philippa Gregory has pinned her down correctly. She describes her as an evil schemer, of which I'm not wholly convinced, that’s the trouble with historical fiction it’s all in the mind of the author. For instance, the accusations against Jane were made long after her death and by people who had political reasons to do so, so I don’t think we’ll ever know what she was really like. She may have condemned Anne Boleyn and her husband to their death, but she may also have been scared out of her wits and not had much choice in the matter.
The Boleyn Inheritance was very readable, but not necessarily true and it does make you long for something more substantial - like eating a McDonalds and wishing you’d cooked yourself a proper meal instead.
Everyone knows the story of Henry VIII’s marriages, so you know the plot before you start. Katherine’s story was the most tragic. Gregory describes her as a vain flirty teenager attracting the eye of an ageing king, and you have to hope for her own sake she was as superficial as Gregory makes her out to be. There is something pretty repulsive about the old king lusting after her, like an ageing Jimmy Savile. She misses out the key scene when Katherine Howard ran screaming through Hampton Court searching for Henry on the day of her arrest, and has reputedly haunted the long galllery ever since – or so the guide books tell you.
Anne of Cleves got the best deal out of all the wives – a divorce and an income afterwards. Jane Rochford is the most elusive character and I’m still not sure Philippa Gregory has pinned her down correctly. She describes her as an evil schemer, of which I'm not wholly convinced, that’s the trouble with historical fiction it’s all in the mind of the author. For instance, the accusations against Jane were made long after her death and by people who had political reasons to do so, so I don’t think we’ll ever know what she was really like. She may have condemned Anne Boleyn and her husband to their death, but she may also have been scared out of her wits and not had much choice in the matter.
The Boleyn Inheritance was very readable, but not necessarily true and it does make you long for something more substantial - like eating a McDonalds and wishing you’d cooked yourself a proper meal instead.
Read for the first time in December 2011. I have chosen to read this again as I would like to read the new book The Taming of the Queen and this precedes it chronologically.... I don't usually worry too much about reading these articular books in order, but as I don't really remember reading it, I thought it would make sense to read it again, before I continue with the Taming of the Queen.
This was one of the harder Gregory novels to finish. Boring.
This is a great continuation of The Other Boleyn GIrl. It takes place after Jane Seymour has died and Henry needs a new wife with which he marries Anne Of Cleves, It talks about their relatioship from her point of view, Annes point of view is not the only one in this novel. In fact it is split between Anne, Katherine Howard, and Jane Boleyn (lady Rochford). Katherine Howard was the 5th wife for Henry as she takes the place on Anne. Jane Boleyn was married to the deceased George Boleyn, who was the brother to Anne. It was because of her that anne and George were beheaded. She is now helping Katherine to keep the king oblivious to the affair Katherine is having with someone her own age. Because of this both Jane and Katherine recieve the same favor from Henry which end with more headless women. A great story